Publication date: Jul 07, 2026
Biological sex is a well-established determinant of risk, progression, and therapeutic response in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). However, current evidence on sex differences in NDs is from high-income Western populations. This review aims to map and synthesize evidence on biological sex differences in NDs in Africa, and to identify key research gaps. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A literature search was conducted on PubMed, African Journals Online, Sabinet Journals, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. We included studies conducted in African countries that reported sex disaggregated data or examined biological sex differences in at least one ND. Data were synthesized descriptively. All included studies reported sex distribution, but most (about 84%) did so only descriptively. Approximately 17% conducted sex-stratified analyses beyond prevalence. Similar to global epidemiological trends, several studies suggested a higher prevalence or odds of dementia and multiple sclerosis among females, while male predominance was observed in Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis studies. An earlier onset and a higher mutation frequency in LRRK2-G2019S were reported in females with Parkinson’s disease in some studies, while another study reported a higher mortality rate in females with dementia. No study evaluated sex specific biomarker profiles, disease progression, or treatment response. Evidence on biological sex differences in NDs in Africa remains limited and is largely descriptive. Mechanistic, longitudinal, and biomarker-based investigations are largely absent.
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| Concepts | Keywords |
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| Africa | |
| Neurodegenerative disease | |
| Sex differences | |
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